Home > Subject index > Philosophy > Table of contents
Subject: Philosophy  Book Title: Eternal God
Eternal God
A Study of God without Time
Helm, Paul Professor of the History and Philosophy of Religion, King's College, London
Print publication date: 1997
Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: November 2003
Print ISBN-13: 978-0-19-823725-9
doi:10.1093/0198237251.001.0001
 
Abstract: Eternal God offers an exposition and philosophical defence of the idea that God is timeless. This is the traditional Christian position, though under widespread contemporary attack on both theological and philosophical grounds. The book begins by considering certain issues of method and exploring the very idea of timeless eternity. The defence of the idea of divine timelessness involves arguing against a number of claims, notably that it is incoherent and incompatible with the idea of personhood and freedom. Both these arguments are rebutted. It is argued that if God is in time, then by parity of argument this carries the unacceptable consequence that he is in space. The idea of omniscience, the propriety of speaking of an eternal God's foreknowledge, and of God's knowledge of the future are all discussed. It is argued that while divine foreknowledge is compatible only with some form of determinism, such determinism poses no greater threat to human responsibility than does atheistic determinism. The book concludes with an examination of the conditions under which one might make successful reference to such an eternal God.

Keywords: determinism, eternity, fatalism, freedom, future, God, Paul Helm, omniscience, personhood, philosophy of religion, responsibility, space, timelessness
Table of Contents
Preface
You have access to the full text for this item.
1. The Issue of Divine Eternity
You have access to the abstract and full text for this item.     You have access to the full text for this item.
2. What Is Divine Eternity?
You have access to the abstract and full text for this item.     You have access to the full text for this item.
3. Indexicals and Spacelessness
You have access to the abstract and full text for this item.     You have access to the full text for this item.
4. Eternity and Personality
You have access to the abstract and full text for this item.     You have access to the full text for this item.
5. Eternity, Immutability, and Omniscience
You have access to the abstract and full text for this item.     You have access to the full text for this item.
6. Timelessness and Foreknowledge
You have access to the abstract and full text for this item.     You have access to the full text for this item.
7. Omniscience and the Future
You have access to the abstract and full text for this item.     You have access to the full text for this item.
8. Divine Foreknowledge and Fatalism
You have access to the abstract and full text for this item.     You have access to the full text for this item.
9. Timelessness and Human Responsibility
You have access to the abstract and full text for this item.     You have access to the full text for this item.
10. Divine Freedom
You have access to the abstract and full text for this item.     You have access to the full text for this item.
11. Referring to Eternal God
You have access to the abstract and full text for this item.     You have access to the full text for this item.
Bibliography
You have access to the full text for this item.
Index
You have access to the full text for this item.
doi:10.1093/0198237251.001.0001
Quick Search Form
 
scroll up fast
scroll up
 
scroll down
scroll down fast